Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in Fargo, ND-MN make a median of $188,510 a year, or about $90.63 an hour. The range runs from $105K at the entry level to $505K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.87), which stretches that salary to about $207,450 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,112/month, or 9.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $189K get you in Fargo?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fargo’s Regional Price Parity (90.87). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chief executives
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What this looks like in Fargo
Pay for chief executives in Fargo runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $214K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,112/month, 9.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.87 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Fargo can be a reasonable trade-off for chief executivess who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chief executives in metros near Fargo, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks | $171K | $197K |
| Bismarck | $177K | $194K |
| Minot | $136K | $156K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $210K | $200K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fargo, ND-MN
Entry-level chief executives (10th percentile) start around $105K. Mid-career wages sit at $189K. Top earners bring in $505K or more, a $400K spread from bottom to top.
Chief Executives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chief Executives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $342K | +60% | 910 |
| Washington | $340K | +59% | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $332K | +55% | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314K | +47% | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $311K | +45% | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310K | +45% | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295K | +38% | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $282K | +32% | 470 |
| South Dakota | $281K | +31% | 510 |
| New York | $258K | +21% | 8,430 |
| Texas | $258K | +20% | 8,780 |
| Michigan | $256K | +19% | 4,950 |
| Indiana | $254K | +19% | 1,820 |
| Maryland | $249K | +16% | 3,180 |
| Rhode Island | $235K | +10% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $233K | +9% | 8,850 |
| California | $219K | +2% | 34,700 |
| Nebraska | $215K | +0% | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $213K | -0% | N/A |
| Iowa | $211K | -1% | 3,050 |
| Wisconsin | $208K | -3% | N/A |
| Georgia | $208K | -3% | 4,080 |
| Delaware | $200K | -7% | 390 |
| Tennessee | $199K | -7% | 4,700 |
| Minnesota | $196K | -9% | 6,740 |
| Montana | $182K | -15% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $180K | -16% | 2,070 |
| Idaho | $177K | -17% | 2,920 |
| Ohio | $176K | -18% | 4,470 |
| Vermont | $175K | -18% | 360 |
| Missouri | $172K | -19% | 2,550 |
| Utah | $172K | -20% | 3,140 |
| South Carolina | $169K | -21% | 1,740 |
| New Hampshire | $169K | -21% | N/A |
| Alaska | $167K | -22% | 640 |
| Alabama | $166K | -22% | 810 |
| North Dakota | $165K | -23% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $164K | -23% | 2,390 |
| Kansas | $158K | -26% | 1,960 |
| West Virginia | $152K | -29% | 1,700 |
| Nevada | $150K | -30% | 1,370 |
| Wyoming | $148K | -31% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $139K | -35% | 310 |
| Maine | $139K | -35% | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $124K | -42% | 100 |
| Arkansas | $120K | -44% | 3,550 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chief executives salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Fargo numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fargo?
Yes — at the median salary of $189K, rent takes 9.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,112/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in Fargo?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $105K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,325/month. At HUD’s $1,112/month FMR, rent would take 18% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in Fargo?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $189K here vs. $214K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Fargo compare to the national average for chief executives?
Fargo pays $189K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.87), the purchasing-power equivalent is $207K — below the national median.
How much do chief executives make in Fargo, ND-MN?
The median is $188,510 a year, that works out to about $91 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $105,420, and experienced chief executives can clear $505,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $189K enough to live in Fargo?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $11,391/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,112/month, which eats 9.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chief executives salary go in Fargo?
Fargo has a Regional Price Parity of 90.87 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chief executives salary is worth about $207,450 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chief executives get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.